Chugai, Gero Team Up in $250M Deal To Develop AI In Antibody Therapies For Aging Conditions

Chugai Pharmaceutical and Singapore-based Gero have signed a joint research and license agreement aimed at developing novel antibody therapies targeting age-related diseases. The partnership brings together Chugai’s antibody engineering expertise and Gero’s AI-driven human data analytics platform for target discovery.

“We believe that open innovation with external partners, including leading global players, is extremely important for achieving global first-class drug discovery outlined in our growth strategy toward 2030, TOP I 2030. By combining Gero’s target discovery technology with Chugai’s drug discovery technologies, we will accelerate the creation of innovation,” said Chugai’s President and CEO, Dr. Osamu Okuda.

Through the collaboration, Chugai will gain exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize antibody drugs against targets identified by Gero’s platform. The deal includes an upfront payment from Chugai to Gero, with additional development and sales milestone payments potentially totaling up to $250 million.

“Our AI platform is built to identify therapeutic targets that drive multiple age-related diseases and potentially aging itself. In this collaboration, we aim to translate those insights into therapeutics that can help restore the lost function. This partnership with Chugai is an important step toward achieving Gero’s mission: to meaningfully target the biological processes of human aging,” said Peter Fedichev, CEO of Gero. 

If successful, Chugai will also pay royalties on future product sales. This partnership highlights the growing trend of AI-powered biotech innovation in therapeutic development, particularly in the field of aging-related conditions. 

“We are excited to partner with Chugai, a leading pharmaceutical company, to unlock the synergy between human data-driven target discovery and cutting-edge therapeutic design technology platforms. Together, we aim to develop first-in-class therapeutics to address the unmet needs of increasing number of patients suffering from age-related diseases,” said Alex Kadet, CBO of Gero.